One recent Saturday I was walking my dog at dusk in Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek when a loud buzzing caught my attention. It sounded like a chain saw cutting down a tree a block away. I looked around but saw nothing.

It got louder and scarier, and my dog started cowering. This made me look up, and there was a drone, with two red lights and two green ones, cruising at about 100 feet. I stopped and stared, and it slowed and hovered above me. I confess that after a few seconds I made a rude gesture. It swooped away toward John Muir Medical Center (into the helicopter airspace?).

Why is no one talking about the noise these things make? If it sounded like a chainsaw at 100 feet up, how loud would it be dropping a package on my neighbor's porch?

Will we all be subjected to the torment of nonstop high-decibel droning?

Rosalie Howarth

Walnut Creek

No need for Sharia law

The recent Supreme Court ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby over whether companies can refuse women's contraception coverage for religious reasons brings a bizarre overreaction from some citizens who have lost sight of the reason for our nation's existence.

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While Barack Obama was born of Islamic parentage, I respectfully disagree with Ray Carter's suggestion (CC Times letters July 18) that our government respect Sharia law.

Glenn Wright

Walnut Creek

Unbalanced Gaza Strip fighting

The New York Times writes about Israelis' "growing arsenal of homegrown rockets" coming from Gaza. However, not mentioned is that, among other things fired by Israel at Gaza, is the Jericho III rocket, with nuclear capability and a range of 3,000 to 4,000 miles.

According to Al-Jazeera, this Israeli missile has "a potential payload of 1,000 kg and (is) capable of reaching as far as South America or Oceania." Thanks to our tax dollars, Israel can also fire Hawk, Shafrir and Patriot missiles, and throw up tremendous firepower.

However, drone surveillance is a constant over Gaza at all times, during cease-fires or open conflict; drone missile strikes can also come at any time, especially to carry out extrajudicial killings of "suspected militants." Balance, anyone?